Watch and Wait
by Lupegarou4488
Summary: They also serve who only stand and wait. Events seen through the eyes of those on the sidelines.
1. Stephanie and Cassandra

Stephanie was not a morning person, a trait that was in fact not caused by her second "job". She had never been a morning person, not even before she had started dressing in purple. So when she got a call from Cassandra at two in the morning, while she was stuck in Russia, she was not happy.

"Turn on the TV." Stephanie was already scrambling for the remote, alerted by the tone of her friend (best friend, who was she kidding)'s voice.

"What channel?" She was already flipping through the channels, ignoring the local news - mostly about cleanup from the New Year parties the day before.

"The international one showing the ball drop in Times Square." Cass's voice had calmed somewhat, but was still tense, so Stephanie flipped through the channels faster, already mentally narrowing down her search. She finally found a channel that had a view of Times Square, packed with screaming people...running people. Stephanie's voice failed her as she watched the two super powered teens crash through a billboard and send it flying towards the crowd.

"Who the hell are they?" She didn't recognize either teen, not even a bit, which meant they were new on the scene - Bruce kept all his files up to date and made sure that they had them memorized.

"The girl has been labeled Wonder Girl by the press and is also wanted in regards to a theft at a Greek archeological dig." Cass's voice was all business as the two girls watched the battle continue through Time Square and vanish further into the city. Both ignored the speculation from the newscasters. "The boy had an S-Shield."

"I noticed that. But Supes hasn't mentioned anything, has he? I mean, about having a sidekick or something." Stephanie worried her lower lip and continued to watch the TV, looking for another glimpse of the two other maybe vigilantes.

"No. And Wonder Woman has denied that she has anything to do with the girl." Stephanie can hear the disapproval buried under the matter of fact words: Cass thinks that Wonder Woman should have stepped up, maybe helped the girl. And then they wouldn't be watching the rescue workers and law enforcement descend on Times Square on what is supposed to be a happy, hopeful celebration.

A red and black blur shot across the top of the screen, followed by several other blurs, mostly darker colors, though the light purple one stood out.

"Was that-?" Stephanie tries to keep the hope out of her voice, but doesn't quite manage it. Tim had dropped on the face of the earth nearly two months earlier and Batman had forbidden anyone to try to contact him. Not that they didn't try because rules were made to be broken and circumvented. Stephanie had even contacted Jason, in a last bit of desperation. And, after laughing at her for nearly five minutes, the estranged bat had promised to keep an eye out for his replacement.

"We don't draw conclusions, Stephanie." But Cass let her hear a little of the emotions she was feeling too.

"Call Nightwing, Cass. Call him now." Stephanie had already hung up and was dialing the manor. Even Alfred had no idea where Tim had vanished to and she knew that the old man was incredibly worried. And even if that black and red blur wasn't Red Robin (which she highly doubted, because those wings were impossible to forget), this might help the man that was a surrogate grandfather to them all.

"Wayne residence."

"Alfie!" Stephanie couldn't help but be cheerful when she was talking to the older gentleman; he just demanded that she behave that way, probably as a counterforce to Bruce and Damian's more gloomy and uptight personalities. "Listen, you watching the countdown?" There wasn't really a question of Batman or Robin watching it - crime never sleeps, etc, etc.

"Yes. And I do believe I saw the same thing that you did, Miss Stephanie." She grinned and bounced a little, excited. He would never say anything over the phone, they were too paranoid for that, but they all knew how to get their points across. "I am going to finish my duties for the evening, but I think that the workload will seem much lighter."

Stephanie turned back to the TV just as the fight returned to Time Square, sending the few remaining civilians and the rescue workers scattering for cover. Not that there would be much, if Wonder Girl and Superboy kept on fighting. Her cell rang and she answered it without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Stephanie."

"You watching this?" Jason's question wasn't unexpected, but his call was. He hadn't bothered to call her since the last time she had called him, about a month ago.

"Yeah. What do you think?" Jason is silent for a minute and Stephanie can hear Roy and Kori in the background. She hasn't met either of them yet, but Jason talks (complains) about them to her whenever she calls, so she assumes they aren't that bad.

"It was Drake." At least he's stopped referring to him as Replacement or Pretender. "Those stupid wings were - are - a dead giveaway." And then he's on the screen, perched off to the side and watching the fight, a black cloud hovering next to him. Stephanie starts as her phone beeps - call waiting.

"Jason, I'm taking a call from Cass." A grunt is her only reply, so she takes that as agreement. So she watches as Cass says that Dick is also watching the unfolding drama.

"Who - who are all those kids?" It's been nagging at her ever since they first flew across the screen. "Tim's been collecting Metas?"

"No." Cass replies softly. "Not collecting. Recruiting. Because something is out there. And that something does not like Metas."

"He talk to you about it?" Stephanie is big enough to admit that if he had talked to Cass and not to her, she would be hurt. She knew him first. She was friends with him first.

"He...hinted...at something, the last time we spoke. Told me to watch my back. Mine and yours."

"But he didn't even bother to talk to me about it?" That hurt and pissed her off. She could take care of herself, thank you very much. And how was Cass supposed to watch her back from Hong Kong?

"Jason mentioned that he was left something in his contact boxes about a month ago." Cass sounded distracted, but that may have been the sight of Red Robin launching himself at the Superboy in an attempt to get the purple teen free.

"So, what do we do?" Stephanie finally asked as the fight moved off camera again.

"We wait and we watch." Cass said finally. "He doesn't want our help, at the moment. But he will get it should he ask for it."

"If I'm not busy, but sure. I'll help you babysit." Stephanie tried to go for teasing, but didn't quite pull it off. "They also serve who only stand and wait." Stephanie wasn't sure where the line came from, but she knew it needed to be said.

"For now." That was also true. They would watch and wait. But they wouldn't wait forever.


	2. Connor and Sin

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Wish I did. **

**A/N: Am having issues with the next Chapter of Superimposed (sorry, I will get it up within the next two weeks), so I'm adding another chapter to this story, which will probably be all of the characters that didn't make it into the DCnU commenting on what's happening. If you have suggestions or a character you want to see, let me know. Also, I have never written these two characters before, so let me know how I did. **

_...and in other news, the Queen Corps offices were attacked late last night by what appeared to be a walking toxic monster. Oliver Queen and his assistant Adrien, were working late last night when the monster attacked. Initially engaged by the vigilante Green Arrow, the monster managed to escape. Oliver Queen is still missing..._

Conner Hawke stared at the TV as dread pooled in his stomach. His father was missing now. His former stepmother wanted for murder, his elder brother getting into god knew what kind of trouble and his younger sister in hiding. His family was shattered.

"Sensei?" He turned to look at the young girl that appeared in the doorway, eyes also fixed on the TV as a picture of Oliver Queen across the screen. "Is something the matter?"

"My father is in trouble and I can't help him." She drifted closer, until she was standing next to him and leaning against him, offering and taking comfort at the same time. "But he is able to take care of himself. He should be fine."

"Big Sister should be taking care of him." For the first time, the girl's brow puckered as she frowned. "They loved each other, yes?"

"Yes, yes they did. Once." Conner wasn't sure how true that was now though. Not after everything that had happened. After Oliver had gone nearly insane after his city was destroyed. And Hal - Green Lantern - had helped. Had done nothing to calm the man down or to make him see reason. And when Roy had tried...well, what little Roy had kept after Oliver had found out about the drugs had been taken.

"They stopped?" Conner shifted, not sure how to explain the...complication that was Oliver and Dinah's relationship. If that was still even the right word for it. The only reason that Conner had not tried to stop the man was he had been busy, getting Mia into hiding and then going to Sin. He had promised Dinah that he would look after the girl. And he would keep that promise.

"I don't think so. But they hurt each other too much when they are together." Like getting to close to the sun. And Dinah had walked away. Had attempted to keep herself together. Conner couldn't help but approve. He loved Dinah, admired her, but she lost something when she was with Oliver. Something vital to what and who she was.

"Oh. Is all love like that?" Conner paused before he answered her question. Considered his answer carefully. He had never actually been in a relationship, but he had seen several over the years.

"No." He finally decided, remembering other couples, other loves. "No. The good loves, the lasting ones, they make each other stronger. Better."

Ralph and Sue Dinby. Jonathan and Martha Kent. Those marriages had strengthened and lasted. Others could too, given time and if they were allowed to grow.

The two were silent as the news switched over to sports and then to the cleanup of Times Square after the meta brawl that had happened there a few days ago. Conner had watched and had recognized the Robin - Red Robin, now - on the screen. He knew of the younger vigilante, but knew his older brother better. Not well, the two had rarely interacted and now their only connection was a loud mouthed red head, but still.

"Will I be a hero someday?" Sin's voice was soft and Conner could hear the worry. Sin knew that she was meant to be the replacement to Lady Shiva, knew that there were many bad people - evil people - looking for her. And she worried that one day, she would become that thing that she didn't want to be. And that she would be the killer that Big Sister didn't want her to be.

"If you want to." Conner kept his tone even. "Or you could just be Sin, ordinary person. Lots of ordinary people are heroes without running around in costumes."

"Oh." He watched with affection as Sin wrapped her head around the concept of being ordinary. Of not being a hero. It had probably never even occurred to her that she didn't have to be one or the other. Hero or Villain. That there was a third option. "I could still help people. Like Big Sister does?"

"Not exactly. But you could be a nurse or an officer. You could join the military, even." The third was not one that he would push very hard, but it was an option. Not one he would have picked, but even at nine, Sin was a smart girl. She would be able to figure out what she wanted eventually.

"You kill people in the military. I don't want to kill." Sin dismissed that idea immediately, but Conner could tell she was thinking about her options now. Other things to be besides assassin or vigilante. Which was probably a good thing. Something was coming. Something big. The news switched again and the two turned back to watch, looking for a distraction from the heavy storm outside.

"He looks like my age!" Sin sounded excited as Robin flashed across the screen, followed closely by Nightwing, the two bright spots of red amidst the black and grey that made up Gotham.

"I think he is." A year or two older at the most, if Conner remembered correctly. Sin leaned forward, suddenly interested in the idea that there was someone her age in this little community of theirs.

"Can I meet him?" Sin glanced over at him and Conner nearly groaned at the suddenly hopeful look in her eye. She was excited and she got excited for so little recently. Ever since...ever since the incident with White Canary.

"Maybe. Someday. After all this is over." She deflated for a moment, but perked up again as she scrambled to her feet. Conner hadn't said no, after all. Just that she had to wait a bit. And she could do that. After all, there wasn't much else to do here.

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